


desire's call.

by Cheschire_Kaat



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dirty Talk, Established Relationship, I should not have written this tbfh, M/M, Masturbation, Phone Sex, Semi-Public Sex, gray is a kinky dude send tweet, light exhibitionism, questionably in-character??? i tried, shit description bc im not fucked to spend another 15 mins trying to come up w something HAH
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 07:13:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20287498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheschire_Kaat/pseuds/Cheschire_Kaat
Summary: Gray's kinks transcend beyond his moral compass; Jellal is kind of traumatized.





	desire's call.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest piece of writing I've ever gotten done. 4500+ words is a personal achievement.  
And _of course_ it's smut smh.
> 
> I'm going to come up w a better description I SWEAR  
( betaed by Chynna )

With darkness surrounding him, Gray’s senses are all on high alert. He got used to the obscurity and started to recognize shapes only five minutes ago, once his eyes finally eased to the shocking change of lighting that was his passage from the bright rooms and large windows of his workplace to the small, isolated and lightless room he is currently hidden in. Then again, the janitor’s closet definitely lacks space, but it isn’t too compact either ― not enough to make him feel squashed ( or not too uncomfortably ) between all those cleaning supplies. He can at least be thankful for the place to breathe, especially with how spontaneous and questionable his endeavor is.

Still, his movements are as careful as if he was surrounded by glass; he makes sure not to knock anything down; paranoid, but not without reason, because he cannot risk exposing himself in any way whatsoever.

His heart is beating like thunder in his chest, pounding in his ears ― and he suspects that he’s starting to sweat, and not from the temperature of the small room. It’s the nerves, making his body tremble in the slightest ways. The nerves, born from the risk, the rules he’s about to break. It’s not too late to chicken out, he thinks, he hasn’t done anything wrong yet, he’s just chilling in the janitor’s closet. _ Weird _ , sure, but not _ shameful _. He could listen to reason, to every fiber of his soul that screams at him to be rational, leave the damn place and go back to doing what he’s actually here for and being paid to do―

But he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to, and it’s frustrating, because ever since the thought crossed his mind a week ago, it simply _ won’t leave _.

The sacrifice of his sight enhanced every other scent of his, a subtle progression he now only begins to notice. His sense of smell calls his attention to the odors of the place; soap, bleach, lavender, cake? (Yes, that _ is _ cake). His hearing, sharper as he needs to look out for any bycomers, picks up the sound of distant steps and office activities. He can distinguish Mary’s voice, of a higher pitch, talking about her new kitten― and Jerome’s polite but clearly disinterested replies. The coffee machine is brewing, too, a constant and loud buzzing. It makes him think of home. It makes him think of dyed cobalt hair and of gentle hazel eyes, of lips against his temple, trailing down his neck― of the object of all his desires.

(And his sense of touch? Well, he hasn’t tested it yet.)

The young man groans, and presses his forehead against the wooden door. 

It’s dangerous, so dangerous. He could get fired. It sure wouldn’t look pretty on his resume.

It’s dangerous, it’s wrong, it’s morally appalling, but it’s also exciting.

Gray is _ excited _.

And so the man decides to throw his common sense, very questionably, out the fucking window― breathes in, breathes out, and reaches into the pocket of his jeans. The screen of his cellphone is shockingly cool against his skin, a sign that it hadn’t been touched in the last few hours. He pulls the device out, unlocking it with his thumb before shakily typing out the number he knows by heart.

He presses the green icon, hears the ringing ― and waits.

And waits.

_ And waits. _

_ ‘Hello, Jellal Fernandes. I can’t take _ _ your _ _ call right now, but―’ _

_ Shit. _ So much for jumping into it.

The raven curses quietly, hangs up, and tries again, and again, and again ― even with the logic in his mind, louder with every reach of the voicemail, reminding him more and more loudly that maybe, probably, (** _OF COURSE_ **) this isn’t a good idea, that clearly Jellal is busy, that he should take his leave and go back to work quietly while he still could―

But he won’t; Gray tunes his voice of reason out, frustration and anxiety and _ determination _sharp on his nerves. He silences the angel on his shoulder ― and lets the devil on the other whisper into his ear.

And it says, it presses―_ ‘one last time’. _

( The phone rings into his ear… and rings… and _ rings― _)

_ “Hello?” _

He waits for the rest of the message; but it doesn’t come. And Gray realizes.

_ “Hello, Gray?” _

He picked up.

Gray lets a disbelieved but victorious of laughter slip past his lips, a weight lifting from his shoulders. _ He actually picked up _, he repeats to himself, and drops onto one of the boxes. It squeaks under his weight, but supports him nonetheless.

_ “Gray?? Are you alright?” _

“Hi”, he answers, breathless, quietly.

_ “Gray! Thank the heavens. I got worried when I got your third call, usually you leave a message by then. I’m sorry, I would have answered earlier, but I had to leave the room―” _

Gray’s not exactly listening to his lover’s nervous rambling, but he does focus on his voice, lets it soak through him ― and he feels the relief slip away, and the nervous excitement come back. The warmth. He feels warmer, progressively. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s ‘kay”, he exhales, a smile wide on his lips, anticipation tickling his nerves.

_ “Are you alright? You sound out of breath, is something wrong?” _

“No no, yeah― Yeah I’m”, he hesitates, the hand not holding his phone reaching for his shirt’s collar, working through the first button. “...I’m _ fine _.”

( He feels a little guilt at that moment, because Jellal sounds _ actually _worried, and he shouldn’t do that, it’s selfish― )

But then, the man thinks, he can’t do this ― _ he won’t be able _ to do this if he’s constantly tripping on his shame, or pulled down by his hesitation. Gray closes his eyes, breathes, opens them ― and realizes that maybe, his common sense had crawled back in.

And so he, again, throws it out of the window, and then he locks it. And the raven thinks, _ ‘this is a one-time thing, it’s a fantasy, and you’re so close ― sure you can bullshit your way out of a conversation with Jellal and walk out the door, but you’ll regret it.’ _

_ “...” _

His shirt is now wide open, pale skin exposed and contrasting against the dark shades of his hair, of his surroundings. He glides his hand up his chest, slowly, until he finds the erect bud of a nipple to tease of his nimble fingers. Gray bites his lip, careful to stay silent for now. He might be locked into a room a few dozen of meters away from everyone else, but getting lost into this could very much end up being his doom, especially as he’s been told he’s louder between the sheets than the vast majority.

_ “...Are you sure?” _

God, it’s getting to him now, the febrility, the naughtiness of it all. The forbidden pleasure he’s about to give himself, it’s just within reach, just on the tip of his fingers. The bomb has been lit, the first steps taken. He rolls the head of his nipple between his digits, pinches it ― and disguises skillfully the small gasp it tears from him as a breathless chuckle. 

“Oh yeah, totally ! Top shape, hah. He pauses briefly, not quite sure how to continue, leaning his back against the plaster wall; “Just a little… frustrated.”

_ “Frustrated?” _

“I was...” he licks his lips, the heat― it’s blooming in his chest. He feels like a furnace just recently turned on: flames of desire course down his veins, rushing to his navel ― and they only tickle his skin for now, but oh, _ he knows _ . He knows he’s going to get _ burned _.

He lets go of his chest, allows his fingers to trail, to dance down his uncovered abs, all the way down to the edge of his pants… “...thinkin’ ‘bout you…”

_ “About me?” _

He pops his pants open, slides them awkwardly, but as best as he can with only a single hand available, a good few centimeters down his hips. He’s already halfway hard behind the cage of fabric that is the black pair of boxers he’s wearing today ― one he knows the man on the phone has voiced his approval of.

“Yeah, you.”

It was a totally unpremeditated choice ― the thought of doing this hadn’t in even the _ slightest way _ crossed his mind today when he woke up and slipped them on at 8:45 AM in the morning, sleepy and barely functional ― but the raven cannot help but be thankful of his pick. Gray can hear it, his partner’s words of a month past, branded into the depths of his mind and coming back to the surface― Jellal’s eloges, whispered in his ear, a hand down in the pair of underwear.

_ ‘I love how those look on you’. _

(and the kisses down his neck… he remembers―)

_ ‘Your ass looks so _ good _ , love. Makes me crave a taste of it.’ _

_ “―Why, might I ask?” _

A small whimper escapes him, from the memory just as from the feeling of his fingers diving into the piece of cloth, grazing the hardness of his member ― but Jellal doesn’t hear it, surprisingly. Gray doesn’t know if he should think of himself as lucky or not.

Frankly, he doesn’t know what to think _ at all _ right now.

His boyfriend has gone silent at the other end of the line, awaiting a response. Gray can picture him, alone, in the hallway, perhaps― he mentioned that he left his office, didn’t he? The raven thinks, he’s probably disoriented right now, not as worried as he is absolutely clueless to what could _ possibly _ be going on with the younger one of the pair, calling his phone five times at work only to be vague and mysterious as to what had led him to dial.

And Gray can’t wait to provide him with the answer, but not without stretching it out a bit longer.

“‘Cause…” Gray starts, holding the words, and his breath, as he tugs out his dick. The cool air bites the skin, and he in turn bites his lip― “‘Cause I miss you.”

_ “You miss me?” _

Gray can almost _ HEAR _him arch his eyebrows, and it makes him laugh, stupidly ― breathlessly. But the thought, through this scandalously uncharacteristic escapade, is endearing, and he welcomes it. “Yeah, I miss you.”

_ “Love, you’ll see me tonight _ ― _ ” _

“But that’s not soon enough, y’know?” His fingers close around his length, and he starts stroking, slowly― tentatively, hesitantly.

_“That’s unreasonable. It’s, what, 2:30 PM?”_ Fuck, Gray swears internally. That voice, that deep, beautiful, gentle baritone… _he’s so hot._ _“2:41. It’s a matter of hours, and I’ll be all yours.”_

All yours. Gray’s throat goes dry. The choice of words—  
( _ he’ll make him his alright. _)

“No— you don’t understand.”

_ “Don’t I?” _

No, he does not. 

“I— miss you… your lips, your _ hands _―”

_ “Gray?” _

His hand takes on a more determined rhythm, the second thoughts murdered by the lust taking their place, kicking them out.

“I need... your smile, your warmth―”

_ “Gray, are you alright, why are you breathing so _ ― _ ” _

“―your voi-_ aaah~ _”

A rush of pleasure runs through him, and he moans, dangerously louder yet not above the sound limit. “Mmm, fuck, that hit the spot.” There’s total, utter silence from the blue-haired man ― shock, most likely. Gray laughs, quietly, with just an inkling of shyness. 

No going back now.

“I need you, so, so much… Jellal...”

Still silent. Gray slows his strokes just slightly, but his breathing, loud and ragged, continues to resonate through the phone.

_ “Gray.” _

He shudders from the drop in the other’s baritone, drags out a moan, teases the head of his cock with his thumb. The boy lets his head fall against the wall, his eyelids drooping closed to further savor the sensation of it all, a Cheshire grin upon his features ― audible in his voice. He feels his grip on reality weakening, feels himself slipping away, slowly sinking into the waves of his desire ― calling to him like a siren’s song.

“―Yeah?”

_ “What” _ , his voice, it’s dark, disapproving― fuck, the mewl escapes his throat before he can even think of stopping it. He’s really starting to lose his fucking mind; _ “are you doing ?” _

“Heh.” Somehow, he takes pride in the edge of disbelief, and of slight outrage, he can hear in his lover’s tone. He supposes, it is better than to cower before it. 

The smile does not die down, it remains on his lips, lazy, perhaps retracts a little ― and he opens one eye only, just barely.

“What does it sound like?”

_ “Gray.” _

“Yeah?”

_ “You’re at work.” _

“Yeah, yeah, I am―” another moan, quieter, followed by a pant. The stroke of his grip against his member, now fully erect, makes his toes curl into his shoes and his back tense. Knowing that his partner is now aware of what he’s doing― it makes his stomach twist and flutter, and his mind dizzier. Somehow, his disapproval merely adds on to the fun. “...Which is why I’m... in the janitor’s closet, in… in total darkness―”

_ “Gray...” _

“―jacking off” he cuts off with a shuddering, quiet cry “―to the sound of your voice.”

_ “Shit, Gray.” _

He laughs, lightheaded. “I love it when you curse, it’s so fucking _ hot _.”

_ “Gray Fullbuster, I swear to _ ― _ ” _ his voice fades (Gray assumes someone passed by) before it comes back in an angry (or is it ?) whisper. _ “Alright, fine, give me a few minutes, I have to… find a place better suited for this.” _

“No problem~”, he sing-songs, and Jellal sighs. Gray listens to the pandering, to the steps, the shifting, with a certain satisfaction, but also on the edge of his improvised seat ― because he knows that, if he wasn’t going to come before, then he _ sure _ was going to now that his man was playing along.

The raven can still hear it all outside the door― he simply tuned the majority of it out during his pleasure trip, his focus being called elsewhere. Yet now that Jellal is busy finding himself a safe spot to take care of him, he finds the time to listen ― and the buzzing of the phones and of his coworkers’ conversations, distant but still audible, are a grounding reminders of where he is, what he’s supposed to be doing, and how primordial it is for him to watch his volume. 

_ “―Alright, alright.” _ Jellal’s voice is back in his ear, and he hears the distant sound of a door closing. _ “I found somewhere safe.” _

“My hero”, Gray taunts, shifting against the wall and readjusting his phone against his ear.

_ “Gray, this is not acceptable.” _

“Mhm.”

_ “You can’t just _ ― _ ” _ a sigh is heard from the other side, and Gray bites his lip as to not laugh at his partner’s demise. _ “You can’t just _ masturbate _ at work and call me?! what if you get caught? What if someone opens the do _ ― _ ” _

“Babe. I know you’re tryin’ to scold me right now, but... I just gotta say―” Gray clears his throat, licks his lips, lets his voice drop. “It’s_ really not _ working _ . _”

Another sigh― good god, his boyfriend is exasperated. Gray simply cannot bring himself to feel bad, as much as he wants to, because right now, against all his expectations and anxieties― he’s having, quite truthfully, the _ time _ of his _ life _.

_ “...Why did you call me? To tease me?” _

“Well―” Gray starts, dragging the tip of his digits up and down the line of his shaft ― which had gone softer ( but not entirely ) from the lack of attention during Jellal’s quest. “I could have done this on my own, of course ― you’ve given me a shitload of material to fantasize about. Like… I could have just… locked myself in that closet, gotten off to my imagination, to my memories…” 

His grin widens once more, toothy, and he tilts his head. “But… where’s the fun in that?”

He takes the seconds of silence from Jellal as the result of stupor, and he giggles ― like a Mad Hatter, off with his head, but maybe that’s because this all feels like Wonderland right now. The thrill, the danger, everything that’s on the line ― that being his job, his credibility, and the janitor’s sanity.

_ “I’m not exactly having fun right now, Gray.” _

“How come? I, for one, am having... a very good time.” To punctuate his statement, the raven gives himself a few good, hard strokes and hisses _ right _ into the phone’s speaker. The groan he gets in response satisfies him immensely. “I’ve been thinking about this all week.”

_ “I wouldn’t have left that meeting if I had known that the only reason you needed me is because you’re acting like a dog in heat.” _

“Did you just call me your _ bitch _ ? Fuck, that’s _ hot _.”

** _“Grayson Fullbuster.”_ **

Jellal growls into his ear, and he almost feels bad. Almost. Guilt gnaws at the edges of his mind (having known about the meeting, he would have chosen a better time, or maybe skipped on the idea as a whole), but he is far too gone in his world of lust to genuinely regret anything. And he probably won’t later either; not with the hitches he can hear in Jellal’s voice, in his breathing pattern every time he makes a noise; in those details only he, with his years of experience, can piece together.

Because as desperate as he sounds, he knows… _ he knows _ his boyfriend is turned on, and that a part of him, no matter how hard he tries to suppress it, is enjoying this.

And so he laughs it off.

“Jel, _ relax _. It’s a joke. ‘m sorry.”

_ “How you can be so calm about this is baffling. What if you get caught?” _

“I won’t”, Gray declares with certainty.

_ “How can you be so sure?” _

“I can’t”, Gray then admits, letting his gaze drift from his lap to the door, blocked by a broom he knows wouldn’t resist an assault too powerful. “‘Course I can’t; but… hhh, god―”

“When I stepped in this room, I left my worries at the door.”

“...”

“...”

_ “I knew you were an exibitionist, love _ ― _ ” _ Jellal’s tone is a bit more relaxed, which makes Gray happy. He wants him to enjoy this too. _ “ _ ― _ but I didn’t know to _ _ what _ _ extent.” _

“Shut up”, Gray bites back with a smile, “I’m not that bad. It’s not like I do this often.”

_ “Thankfully.” _

“...”

_ “...” _

“...Jel?”

_ “Yes?” _

“’m still…”

He is, indeed; the raven, who’s made sure to keep himself aroused throughout the conversation, breathes the statement with an apologetic smile his partner can’t see, drags out the final word. Jellal sighs. Gray smiles.

_ “And you need my help.” _

“Please.”

_ “Alright, fine. I can do that.” _ Gray hears him shift, again. The bluenet takes a few moments to think, during which the other boy holds his breath expectantly, excited. 

_ “I hope you know that you’re not getting away with this so easily.” _

“Hah ― are you going to punish me later?”

_ “Yes.” _

“And whatcha’ gonna do to me, starboy?”

_ “Well, first of all, you’re sleeping on the couch.” _

The declaration feels like a punch in the gut to the younger one of the two; he straightens up, taken aback and quite honestly offended. “Oi! That’s not sex talk, that’s actual damnation.”

_ “And it’s what you deserve.” _

“Tch. That’s not very sexy of you, you _ asshole _.”

The chuckle he gets in response is low, dark, and it troubles Gray― sets his nerves alight. With that laugh, the entire mood shifted ― and oh god, he’s starting to feel hot again. _ “It wouldn’t be a real punishment otherwise, now, would it?” _

Gray’s breath hitch. “Then...do you have―”

_ “Something else planned for you? Oh yes, I’m oh so very glad you asked.” _

Fuck. Oh, _ fuck. _

_ “You see, love, I am a flawed man.” _

“Are you?”

_ “Very flawed. And I might be upset with you tonight _ ― _ but there’s just a small thing I’ve found true about myself, and that will crack through my resolve…” _

“...And that is?”

The answer is breathed through the phone, into his ears ― mercilessly.

_ “I can’t stay away from you.” _

Those words alone send a shiver down his spine; Gray feels himself light up from inside, the fire of his lust reignited, and he inhales, sharply, as to not let it devour him from the inside. He knows, _ he just knows _ that Jellal is smiling right now― that one smile, dark and seductive, that always makes him so, so weak in the knees.

_ “I’ll lay in our bed tonight, thinking about you― about those sounds you made on the phone, about your ragged breaths, about how gorgeous you must be looking right now, in that dark, sinful closet. _

Trembling fingers reach for his member again, his grip closing upon it once more. 

_ Tell me, darling, what do you look like as we speak?” _

“I― my shirt is unbuttoned.”

_ “Mhm.” _

“And I have pants down.”

_ “Fully?” _

“Nah, jus’ to the knees.”

_ “Your underwear?” _

“D-down. I’m givin’ myself a handjob.”

_ “Figured as much. Good boy.” _

He isn’t able to swallow back the whine that escapes him. Jellal hums with satisfaction, and Gray trembles with anticipation.

_ “I’ll picture you tonight, with your disheveled hair and your wrinkled clothes. I’ll remember it all― but the sounds, love, they won’t be enough.” _

_ “I’ll want to see it, with my own eyes. I’ll want to live it. And it’ll chip at my determination, because you― you make me weak, Gray Fullbuster.” _

The raven bites his lip _ hard _ and screws his eyes shut. He’s fully erect now, which is kind of unexpected, considering that Jellal hasn’t said anything explicit yet. He thinks, it’s probably his voice, sweet like honey yet dripping like sin, and the way he is so eloquent with the words that roll off his tongue… he can think of a few more things Jellal could do with that tongue, and every single one makes him shiver. 

This is better, so much better than any story or any scenario Gray could’ve came up with from imagination alone. His boyfriend’s voice, although slightly electronic at the moment, is real and vibrant, it shakes his bones, burns through him like the most violent and delicious of forest fires. God, he can listen to him talk like that for hours―

_ “I’ll get up from the bed, and leave the room. I’ll wake you up _ ― _ if you’re even sleeping at all. You probably will be expecting me, waiting for me to come to you, like the weak-willed man you know me to be.” _

The closet fades away, so does any exterior noises, or smells― and suddenly, there’s nothing but his heavy breathing, the pleasure coursing through his veins, and _ Jellal _. 

_ “I’ll climb onto the couch, and we’ll kiss ― you know how much I love to kiss you. I’ll strip you of your shirt… or will you have already taken it off?” _

“I― I’ll keep it on…” he tries to speak normally, he really does, but the stimulation is strong, and he’s so hard he’s twitching, bucking his hips, panting his words… 

_ “How kind of you.” _

Gray shudders again. “A-and then?”

_ “And then… I’ll open the drawer next to the sofa. I’ll take out the bottle of lube.” _

“Oh my god―”

_ “I’ll pour some into my palm, coat my fingers.” _

Holy shit. He feels so dizzy; his head is spinning.

_ “I’ll spread your ass, and slip _ _ the _ _ first finger into you. And then a second.” _

“A-and a third?”

_ “Oh yes, all up to the third knuckle. And this time, you won’t have to hold back those pretty noises, because we will be all alone.” _

“A-aah, fuck” he can see it ― Jellal’s tale translates into images, conjured by his mind, and he loses himself in them; he can see the living room of their apartment, plunged in the dark of the night. He can picture his fingers, clutching onto the starry-patterned cushion, can hear his boyfriend’s breathed promises into his hair, against his neck and collarbone _ ― _can imagine the hands that know every inch of his body by heart, scissoring him wide open, preparing him for his cock. 

_ “I’ll make you beg for it, Gray _ _ . _ _ ” _ The raven whimpers weakly through trembling lips at the sound of his name. Fuck, _ shit _ , he’s so close, he can feel himself climbing the height up to his climax. _ “Loudly and desperately. In fact _ ― _ ” _

_ “―once you’ve been stretched properly, I’m going to pound you so _ fucking hard _ you won’t even be able to scream my name.” _

And that does him. With a few more strokes, Gray comes apart, succumbs to the edge ― unravels with a dangerously loud cry of pleasure. He spills his seed into his hand and coats his palm with white. Then, he falls back against the wall, buckling legs trying to keep him steady as he seeks support, absolutely and utterly spent, against the cold surface of plaster.

The young man rides his orgasm through desperate pants, glacial irises unfocused and half-lidded. Shaking fingers are barely holding the phone in place; it threatens to slip from his grasp and fall to the floor. He tries to strengthen his grip, but he can’t — he can’t, for his mind may feel light, he might feel like he’s floating, but his limbs… Gray feels as if they weigh hundreds of pounds.

_ “Done?” _

Jellal’s voice has gone soft and gentle again; the contrast with the persona from just a minute ago truly is baffling. The younger one lets a breathless chuckle escape him. “Yeah— ‘m done.”

_ “How did it feel?” _

“Oh god— it was so, so good.“

_ “I’m glad.” _His boyfriend goes quiet on the other end of the line, and the only sound to break the silence is the raven’s ragged, irregular breathing pattern, which has yet to fade back into normality.

And Gray doesn’t mind the lack of words; it’s nice. All of this is nice, and he’s satisfied ― and light, to the point where he isn’t even fucking thinking anymore about the absurd and horrifying amount of sins he just committed.

_ “Gray?” _

“Yeah?”

_ “Can you, uh―” _

“...?”

He hears Jellal clears his throat. _ “...Can you send me some pictures?” _

The younger man blinks, and barks out a laugh. There it was, actually ― he just noticed it, but there is a sharp edge to his lover’s voice, a roughness he doesn’t need to try too hard to deduce the source of. He teases, “Ya got something to take care of?”

_ “― And whose fault is that?” _

Touché. With a smirk, Gray presses his thumb to the home button of his cell, swiping through apps until he finds the camera, and he makes it a pleasure to send the dirtiest yet elegant selfies he can take ― which is not too difficult, really, when his hand is coated with the fruit of his pleasure. He takes one of his lap, too, and sends everything through text.

Jellal’s shaky exhale gives him the validation he needs to know they got through; and his ego swells with pride, as well as the utmost satisfaction. “― Sure you don’t need help with that?”

_ “Absolutely not. You’re going back to work. You needed my help, and look where that got me.” _ Gray pouts. “Killjoy.”

_ “It’s called being responsible. I’m not getting paid for this reason ― and neither are you, for that matter. Beside, I’ll see you tonight ― isn’t _ _ that _ _ something to look forward to?” _

The raven licks his lips ― and smiles fondly, pink on his cheeks. “Yeah… Yeah, you’re right.”

_ “We’ve been here for quite some time, so you might need to come up with an excuse. Wipe your hands with your shirt, and sneak it into your bag. Since it’s you, it’ll pass.” _ Gray gasps with false offense at the blue-haired man’s jab. _ “Don’t forget to spray some _ _ Febreze _ _ in there before leaving, too ― there should be some. Have mercy on your janitor, I’m begging you.” _

“Will do.”

_ “Behave for the rest of the afternoon, alright? Enough rule-breaking for today.” _

“Mhm.”

_ “Promise.” _

“Yes, babe._ I swear _. Christ.”

_ “I’ll see you tonight. I love you.” _

Gray’s heart melts, and he replies in the softest voice ― “Love you too. Bye.”

And his boyfriend hangs up, leaving him in the dark of the supply closet ― spent, exhausted, but with his head light and the most peaceful smile.

  
  
  


It doesn’t sink in immediately. It doesn’t sink in for a while, not until hours after the young man cleaned himself, sprayed the closet ― himself as well, for that matter ― and stepped out of the small room, going back to work as if he’d only went out for a smoke ( just like he tells his colleagues ). Jerome squints at him, dubious, and it makes him nervous ― but he merely shrugs, and focuses on his task once again. And Gray breathes again.

It doesn’t sink in until 4:23 PM, but when it does, it does hard. He drops his pencil and bangs his forehead against the desk.

“Gray, are you okay??”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
( He wonders whether or not Jellal will live up to his hushed promises. )

**Author's Note:**

> don't look at me i'm going to cry


End file.
